AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE government in collaboration with the National Service (JKT) is consulting with different ministries and public institutions to look at the possibility of extending military training for A-level graduates from the current three months to one year.
The Minister of Defence and National Service, Elias Kwandikwa told the National Assembly on Wednesday that JKT was holding talks with government institutions, including the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU), and the National Examination Council of Tanzania (NECTA), among others to have a proper mechanism that will streamline the extension of youth training at National Service, as per the requirement of the law, among Form Six leavers.
He was responding to a question by Wingwi MP, Omar Issa Kombo (CCM) who demanded to know why the government suspended training for youth recruits who were due to begin their volunteering training in different camps countrywide.
“Why did the government order all the youth who had already reported to their training camps to go back to their homes?’’ he asked.
Responding, the minister said there were several reasons for suspension of MF 2020/21 training for the youth, including giving them ample time for JKT to make a thorough assessment of the previous trainings that had been carried out as well as preparing the best curriculum that can help them to cultivate the highest degree of patriotism as well as depending on themselves after completion of their training.
Also, he said the government in collaboration with several stakeholders was looking on the best ways to extend the training so as to produce the best young generation after passing out.
On January 19, the National Service suspended training for at least 12,000 youth recruits who were due to begin their volunteering training countrywide and ordered all the youth who had already reported to their training camps to go back to their homes until further notice.
The abrupt decision was announced at a news conference here by JKT Acting Head of Administration, Colonel Hassan Mabena.
Although he did not divulge into details, Col Mabena said the move came because of internal administrative reasons within the army.
On Wednesday, the defence minister told parliamentarians that another reason for temporarily halting JKT training was to help the army to complete its strategic plan to provide capital to youth, in collaboration with the office of the Prime Minister through the National Economic Empowerment Council and the department of youth and labour as well as the Ministry of Finance.
